101 # 1 Song of the Day, 7-13-12

The 101 number one song of the day was inspired, according to its creator, by Martha and the Vandellas’ “Dancin’ in the Streets” but the writer just didn’t think it was good enough to be an “A” side. Few people agreed.

He’d been lying awake in bed in a motel room in Clearwater, FL when he thought of a chord progression that came to his fingers. The next morning when he played the guitar riff back on his portable cassette recorder for his songwriting partner he offered some words to go with it. Back to that in a moment. Despite his protests, they checked into Chess Studios in Chicago to work more on the tune and later it was completed during an 18 hour recording session at RCA studios in Hollywood. The man who started it all was just about the only one who didn’t think it had much commercial value. His name was Keith Richards. It was the number one song on July 14, 1965. The words he added to the riff were: “I can’t get no satisfaction” – it’s the Rolling Stones.